Identification Guide for Harlequin Ladybird and Common British Ladybirds

Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis):

Size and shape: large (6 - 8mm long), quite round and domed
Elytra (wing case) colour: pale yellow-orange, orange-red, red or black; highly variable
Spots: 0 - 21 orange-red or black spots, or grid pattern; highly variable
Most common forms in UK: orange with 15 - 21 black spots; black with 2 or 4 orange or red spots
Pronotum pattern: white or cream with up to 5 spots or fused lateral spots forming 2 curved lines, M-
shaped mark or solid trapezoid. (The pronotum is the top of the section between head and wing cases.)
Other characteristics: wing cases with wide keel at back; legs almost always brown

Three common colour variants of the harlequin ladybird (all the same species)



4 6 8
Ladybird
Length in mm
Size Guide
(see lengths by each picture
below)

Below are some native British species The notes are to help distinguish native species from the harlequin


Eyed ladybird
7 - 8.5mm (similar size to harlequin)
Commonly 15 black spots
Black legs

Striped ladybird
6 - 8mm (similar size to harlequin)
Chestnut colour with cream stripes &
spots

7-spot ladybird
5 8mm (similar size to harlequin)
Exactly 7 black spots
Most commonly seen ladybird


Cream-streaked ladybird
5 6mm (similar size to small
harlequin)
4 or 16 black spots
Cream streaks

Orange ladybird
4.5 6mm (similar size to small
harlequin)
Orange
12 or 16 white spots

2-spot ladybird
4 5mm (smaller than harlequin)
Very variable red with 2 black spots or
black with 2, 4, or 6 red spots
Very common ladybird
Black legs

Henry Arnold
Cream-spot ladybird
4 5mm (smaller than harlequin)
Maroon-brown with exactly 14
cream spots

Kidney-spot ladybird
4 5mm (smaller than harlequin)
Black with 2 red spots
Round with pronounced rim
around edge of wing cases

Henry Arnold
Pine ladybird
3 4.5mm (much smaller than
harlequin)
Black with 4 red spots
Round with pronounced rim around
edge of wing cases

10-spot ladybird
3.5 4.5mm (much smaller than
harlequin)
Very variable in colour & spot number
Pale legs

14-spot ladybird
3.5 4.5mm (much smaller than
harlequin)
Commonly 14 spots, but variable
and spots often fused
Yellow with black spots or black
with yellow spots

22-spot ladybird
3 4mm (much smaller than
harlequin)
20 or 22 spots
Yellow with black spots


Please tell us your ladybird sightings at www.ladybird-survey.org and www.harlequin-survey.org
Unless stated, images Mike Majerus